Patronal feast of San Sebastiano in Barcellona Pozzo di Gotto

In Barcellona Pozzo di Gotto, in the province of Messina, the feast of San Sebastiano is celebrated every year. A liturgical and folk event that involves the inhabitants of this small town in the Messina area and which every year attracts tourists and travelers from the nearby provinces, as well as from the rest of Italy.
It is one of the best opportunities to visit Barcellona Pozzo di Gotto and closely observe the ancient Sicilian traditions, such as the processing of Giaurrina, typical dessert of these areas.

Patronal Festival in Barcellona Pozzo di Gotto: what the event consists of

The feast of San Sebastiano in Pozzo di Gotto has above all a liturgical character, in fact already in the week preceding the anniversary and immediately after the Epiphany, the whole community gathers at the Mother Church to pray, and prepare your mind and heart for the patronal feast.
The culmination of the celebration occurs on January 20 when the procession of the simulacrum of the patron saint takes place and is celebrated happily in the square in front of the Mother Church.

In addition to having a religious nature, the Patronal feast of Barcellona Pozzo di Gotto also has a strong folkloristic accent.
The basilica square and the streets of the historic center are filled with stalls and bazaars selling typical products.

Along via Roma and along the adjacent streets it is possible to admire a maze of colors that fills the city with joy and conviviality. You can appreciate exhibitions of local handicrafts or taste typical dishes, and among all we must certainly name the Giaurrina.

It is a dessert prepared on the occasion of the feast of San Sebastiano and is composed of caramelized honey, worked for a long time using a hook that serves to lengthen it, just when the product is still soft and malleable. It's nice both to see how the local artisans lend themselves to this particular process, and to taste what has become the culinary symbol of the patronal feast.

Patronal Festival in Barcellona Pozzo di Gotto: the origins of the celebration

The festival has very ancient origins and according to some historians the institution of the celebration can be traced back to the last years of the 1500s. That was a difficult century for Europe and in particular for the Messina area which was repeatedly scourged by the plague.
According to some ancient records this deadly plague decimated the population in 1524, 1575 and 1576. At that point the district of Bassalona, the ancient name with which Barcellona Pozzo di Gotto is identified, decided to build a large church to be dedicated to San Sebastiano, hoping that this could stop the advance of the plague. How successful this attempt may have been is not known, meanwhile since then, the martyr is celebrated every year in Barcellona Pozzo di Gotto.

Patronal Festival in Barcellona Pozzo di Gotto: where and when

The feast of San Sebastiano is held in the small town of Barcellona Pozzo di Gotto, a few kilometers from the city of Messina. In particular, they are affected by the event le Piazza del Duomo and San Sebastiano, as well as the streets of the center along which the procession takes place.
The celebration is held every year on January 20th and symbolizes the end of the Christmas holidays for all the inhabitants of Barcellona Pozzo di Gotto, as in this area the festivities continue until January 20th.

Patronal Festival in Barcellona Pozzo di Gotto: what to do during the event

Those who reach Barcellona Pozzo di Gotto on the occasion of the patronal festival will be able to take advantage of the dense program of activities organized by local businesses. One of the most interesting activities is walking along the streets in the centre, which allows you to admire the city in a more colorful guise, and offers the visitor the opportunity to appreciate objects produced by small local craft workshops, as well as taste the most famous dishes of the Messina tradition.

The festival culminates with the fireworks, a show curated by some local businesses that improve the performance with more and more elaborate choreographies with each passing year.
Those who instead intend to arrive in the city early in the morning or perhaps want to take advantage of the festival to see other interesting places as well, cannot absolutely miss the Ethno-anthropological Museum.

Inside the gallery it is possible to admire the reconstruction of 45 arts and crafts workshops with ben 20.000 historical artifacts in excellent condition. It is one of the most famous and complete ethno-anthropological centers in Italy, where conferences are organized every year for the study and deepening of general anthropology.

Patronal festival in Barcellona Pozzo di Gotto: how to reach your destination

Barcellona Pozzo di Gotto is located in the province of Messina, and is the second most populous center in the Messina area. It is easily reachable from the other Sicilian provinces thanks to excellent road connections, and from the rest of Italy due to its proximity to important ports and airports.

Those wishing to arrive in Barcellona Pozzo di Gotto by plane must use the airports of Palermo or Catania and from there continue the journey by car or bus.
Those intending to make the journey by ship can dock at the port of Milazzo, a few kilometers away from Barcellona Pozzo di Gotto and continue the journey by bus or train.
By car, on the other hand, it will be enough to take the A20 motorway that connects Messina to Palermo and exit at Barcellona Pozzo di Gotto.
This small town is also served by the Ferrovie dello Stato and those wishing to reach the center of the town by train can get off at Barcellona Pozzo di Gotto station.